Strainer for automobile cooling systems



:inventor Gttorneg 2,011go31'l 'W. T. BIRCH I l u.

i z: k

Aug. 13, 1935.

l STRAINR FOR AUTOMOBILE COOLING SYSTEMS File@ April 25,' 1934 PatentedAug. 13, 1935 UNITED STATES rATsNT orties STRAINER ron AUTOMOBILEcooLING SYSTEMS p Y William T. Birch, Chicago, Ill. y Application April25, 1934, Serial No. 722,343

4 Claims. (Cl. 21o- 164) This invention relates particularly tostrainers for cooling systems of automotive engines, or the like, toremove from the cooling water such foreign matter as is likely to becomedeposited in the radiator "of an automobile, and conteniplates theremoval of emulsified oil, other gummy matter, and the dirt usuallycarried by the water of the cooling system.

l It is an object of this inventionv to provide a fluid strainer for thecooling systems of the engines of automobiles, o-r` the like, which isat once simple andinexpensive in construction, efficient in operationland easy to inspect and main- It is also an object of this invention toprovide a iiuid strainer of novel construction whereby the advantagesalready stated may be obtained.

Gther objects of the invention will appear in the description of theinvention hereinafter.

d In the drawing:

Figure l is a diagrammatic showing of the strainer inposition in thecooling system of an engine. I .i-

Figure 2 is a sectional View of the strainer,

25 with parts in elevation Figure 3 is a perspective view ofthe strainerof Figure 2. l i

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the removable cartridge of thestrainer shown in Figure l, K

` Figure 5 is a developed View of the supporting cage of thecartridgeshown in Figuree.

Figure 6 is a sectional Viewof a rnodiedl form of the strainer.

The strainer shown in Figure 3 comprises a hollow case lil provided withmeans dening an inlet neck ll and an outlet neck l2 for connection inthe cooling system of the internal combustion engine of an automobile bythe rubber hose lusually employed in such a system. o A wall i4 providesa partition separating the inlet and outlet conduits of the strainer,and the wall is apertured at l5 to provide a supporting seat for astrainer cartridge i6, and to provide a guiding support for thecartridge as it is being removed for inspection. VSince the fluidpressure on the inlet and outlet faces of the wall lil is substantiallyequal and opposite, because the wall is exposed to the ngoing and theoutgoing fluid, the wall may be made relatively thin.

50 The wall lil bisects an upstanding portion il of the casing whichcommunicates with a horizontally extending and open-ended elongatedportion i3 adapted to house the cartridge i6.

The casing l0 may be -a light casting or a 55 stamping, and theelongated portion I8 may be provided with aninwardly extending bentannular lip i9 which is screwethreaded to receive a closure member.

End caps 2t are threaded in the casing to pron vide closure memberstherefor, and the caps are "5 each provided with'a threaded annularflange il which denes a recess to receive an end oi the cartridge i5 forsupport by the flange.

The cartridge' i6 comprises a screen 22 housed in and supported. by asheet-metal cage 23. A 10 blank of sheet metal is cutto the shape shownin Figure 5, the screen 22 is then laid on the open-work form, and theblank is bent to the circular shape shown in Figure 4,' and the screen Mis suitably secured to the ribs 2li or to certain or the Eat ringportions 25 and 20 `of the cage,

It will now be evidentV `that the cage 23 comprises the at ring portionsA25, 2S and 2l con'- necteol by the ribs 24, and that the ring Zcooperates with the wall lll to denne a partition Separating the inletand the outlet olf-the casing. The rings 25 and El, withtheir-connecting ribs denne an inlet port, while the rings 2 and 25 areadapted to lforrn sealing means ccoperable with the flanges 2 l', andprovide a support for the 25 cartridge I6 while it is being withdrawnfrom the casingupon the withdrawing ci either of the end caps. Fluidenters by way of the neck il, passes vthrough the port defined by therings 2l and 25 and the connecting ribs 24 against the 30 inner surfaceof the screen 22, and then leaves by the outlet neck i2. It will beobvious that the foreign matter is collected on the inner surface of thescreen, and that it is held on the inner surface against dropping intothe outlet while the cartridge is being withdrawn for inspection andcleaning. It will also be obvious that, because of the path taken by thefluid, foreign matter will tend to collect on ring 25 and on itssupporting fla-nge and so seal the joint. There `is also a tendency foremulsiiied Voil and other light gummy matter to oat towards the rightend of the casing where the outlet is relatively long and large and thestream flow relatively slow. Cooling ns 28 are suitably secured 45 tothe casing to further encourage the deposition of solid and gummymatter, and the casing l0 may be suitably positioned to be in the pathof the air from the cooling ian of the system, or of vthe air passingthrough the radiator when the 5 automobile is in motion.

The modied form of strainer shown in Figure 6 comprises a casing 29formed of two similar parts which are suitably held together by boltsSe. The casing 29 is provided with a central in- 5t let neck 3i and acentral outlet neck 32 in alined relation.

Interposed between the two parts of the casing 29 is a wire screen 33against which is laid a cloth screen Sli, facing the inlet side, andboth of the screens are suitably clamped between gaskets 35 by the twobolted parts of the casing. When the cooling system includes a pump ithas been found that oil creeps along the impeller shaft into the waterstream and is emulsied as it is churned in the pump. The cloth screenSli is peculiarly adapted to trap this emulsied `o il and similar gummymatter.

Because of space limitations on automobiles the space between theopposite inner surface of the casing is so small that should the screens33 and 3ft stretch they will be pushed against the inner end of theoutlet neck 3?; and then the fluid path is substantially that of thebore of the outlet neck instead of the normal path of the whole area ofthe screen. When the screens are. loaded with foreign matter thedifference in pressure between the inlet and outlet faces of the screentends to cause bowing of the screen towards the outlet neck. To preventthe aforeu mentioned diinunition of the discharge area of the screens bythe bowing of the screens, and to provide further straining means, thereis entered in the outlet neck a tube 35 havin:lr a plurality of sideapertures 35, and prov.Z edfwfth strucif.'n out tangs Si which engagethe wall of casing and hold the tube in engaged supporting relation withthe screens.

The casing 2Q is connected in the cooling system in a manner similar tothat indicated in connection with the strainer shown in Figure 3.

Cooling rlns 3% are suitably secured to the casing 29 to encourage thedeposition of salts and other foreign matter in the casing. t is wellunderstood that precipitation of salts and other soiid matter from aheated fluid is encouraged by cooling of the liquid and by a drop in thevelocity of the liquid.

In the strainers of Figures 2 and 6 the area of the strainer surface ismuch larger than that of the inlet neck, and because of the drop in thevelocity of the liquid in the strainer chamber, and the cooling of theliquid because of the means provided to cool the relatively large wettedarea of the strainer chamber precipitation and adherence of the solidsand gums at the screen surface is encouraged. Thus only clean waterpasses to the main radiator of the system, and

there are no solids to become deposited in the tortuous and cooledpassages of the main radiator.

It will, of course, be understood that 'various details of constructionmay be varied through a wide range without departing from the principlesof this invention, and it is therefore not the purpose to limit thepatent granted hereon otherwise than is necessitated by the scope cf theappended claims:

What is claimed is:

l. A uid strainer and cooler comprising a casing having an elongatedopen-ended portion and a connecting neck provided with a partition todene an inlet and an outlet therefor, a pair of caps providing closuremembers for the open ends of said elongated portion, an elongatedopenwork circular frame in said elongated portion and supported at itsends by said caps, a circular screen in said frame, and cooling fins onsaid casing.

2. A iiuid strainer comprising a casing having an elongated open-endedportion and a connecting neck provided with a partition to define aninlet and an outlet therefor, a pair of caps providing closure membersfor the open ends of said elongated portion, an elongated open-workcircular frame in said elongated portion and supported at its ends bysaid caps, and a circular screen in said frame.

3. A fluid strainer comprising a casing having an open-ended elongatedportion and a connecting neck provided with an apertured partitiondefining an inlet and an outlet therefor, a pair of caps providingclosure members for the ends of elongated portion, an elongatedopen-work circular frame in said elongated portion, said frame beingsupported at its ends by said caps and being supported at a pointintermediate its ends by said partition, and an elongated circularscreen in said frame.

Ll. A fluid strainer comprising an elongated and open-ended cylinderhaving an integrally connected neck extending normally therefrom andnear one end thereof, partition means in said ends of said cylinder, anelongated open-work frame in said cylinder arranged supported by saidclosure means, and a screen supported by Vsaid frame. 1, i t,

WILLIAM T. BIRCH.

